Month: October 2015

This past weekend, Umbra’s Fair Trade Seminar and Practicum students welcomed Perugia’s “Month of Chocolate” by volunteering for Altrocioccolato, a local festival that presents the concept and products of fair trade. Students arrived as the festival began, on Saturday morning, and were introduced to the day’s events; including product presentations, chocolate-making workshops, live music, and more. They were given the task of photographically documenting festival activities; in this way, they were able to attend several lectures and listen to various international perspectives regarding fair trade practices.

Throughout this semester’s seminar studies, students have been learning to define a fair trade product according to American and Italian standards. Through case studies presenting Coffee and Chocolate sales in the United States and the Italian Libera Terra movement, a movement focused on freeing land and producers from mafia influence, students gain knowledge of: intercultural awareness, the modern fair trade movement and its evolution, the advantages and disadvantages of current practices, and how to present the theory into practice.   

During the practicum element of the course, students utilize their newly acquired knowledge by working, weekly, with the owners of a local Fair Trade shop and the coordinators of the annual Altrocioccolato festival. This element of the course is highly valuable as it allows students to interact directly with Italian fair trade supporters, to ask questions, and to learn how to present fair trade both through in-store client interactions and through the design of brochures used to present the importance of various products found within the shop.

For more information about Umbra’s Fair Trade Seminar and Practicum, click here!

On Friday, October 9th, HSWS 380 Saints, Sinners and Harlots, students faced the sharp winds of a fall morning in Umbria to meet Professor Adrian Hoch for a day trip to Assisi. HSWS 380 is a course that focuses on the lives and importance of medieval women who were and are still associated with the Catholic Church. The day trip was designed to help students review course material before this week’s midterms by viewing churches dedicated to Santa Chiara, as well as churches relative to the story of San Francesco, in order to understand Santa Chiara’s journey, life, and dedication. Umbra firmly believes in an active learning style that encourages students to look outside their books and PowerPoints for examples of what was taught within the classroom.

Professor Hoch’s passion for Medieval and Art History radiated through her explanations of Santa Chiara’s flight from near San Rufino, in the center of Assisi, to 
where San Francesco was serving the church, where the current Porziuncola di Santa Maria degli Angeli is located. Students’ attention was drawn continuously to the art depicting the lives of San Francesco, Santa Chiara, and the “Poor Clares” (a group of women who followed Chiara’s teachings) as they literally walked through the journey of Santa Chiara.

To learn more about Umbra’s upcoming and interactive course offerings, click here!

Umbra’s own Professor Alessandro Celani will be participating in the “La forza delle rovine” exhibition from October 8^th through the 31^st of January, in the Museo Nazionale Romano in Palazzo Altemps, in Rome. Professor Celani has contributed an essay and photos to the exhibition to support the idea that memories of the past, even of ruins and tragedies, are sources of creativity to be applied to the future. 

At Umbra, Professor Celani teaches a number of courses, including Pagans and Christians: Ancient Mediterranean Religions, with a focus on ancient Mediterranean religions, their philosophy, evolution, and worldview; and Art, Architecture, and Culture in Fascist Italy,  presenting the role of various cultural elements on the diffusion of Fascism throughout Italy.

To find out more about “La forza delle rovine”, click here.

Umbra is excited to share its continued collaboration with Liceo Alessi, a local high school in Perugia that regularly invites Umbra students as English tutors for its English program. Fall 2015 Students will be volunteering with teachers to ensure integration of the American culture and language into the classroom environment. Spring 2016 students will then continue the collaboration effort as practicum students.

The program at Liceo Alessi is designed to offer Italian students the chance to work with native English speakers, better their understanding of English linguistics, and learn about a socio-cultural reality that is different from their own. In return, Umbra Students gain hands-on experience in the world of Italian education, they observe the reality of English language learners, understand diversity in language teaching and learning, and gain insights into how Italian youth view the language learning process.

This week, as an introduction to the program, Umbra students visited Liceo Alessi to discuss the content of the program as well as the teaching methods to be used with Professor Lucia Amico, who is responsible for the coordination of Liceo Alessi’s program. Students were told that the program would involve multiple chances to organize group activities in classes presenting various subjects, from math and science to geography and literature. During these activities, students will be asked to aid the teacher in encouraging conversation in English. Umbra students will also have the unique opportunity to prepare a presentation, regarding a topic chosen by the Italian teacher, and to take over a day’s lesson in a creative and interactive way. The introduction ended with a tour of the school’s facilities to familiarize students with the computer lab, library and other useful locations at the school.

To learn more about next semester’s practicum and seminar course with Liceo Alessi, Click here!

Spring in Italy is a beautiful time of year, as mountaintops take on a lush green and warmth returns to the sea. In contrast, as Umbra embraces the onset of fall, our staff is excitedly processing applications as the first step toward welcoming Spring 2016 Students to the romanticized primavera italiana.

Umbra’s Assoc. Director of Marketing and Development, Mauro Renna is currently finishing up a tour of American Universities, where he has been presenting Umbra to various student bodies and personally answering any questions students might have. Meanwhile, back in Perugia, dedicated staff members are accepting emails, phone and Skype calls from both advisers and students who are preparing for next semester’s great adventure.

The Spring 2016 application deadline is rapidly approaching as Students have until October 15^th to apply for Umbra’s upcoming General Studies Program or Direct Enrollment Opportunities.

Contact Umbra at [email protected] if you have any questions about the application process or experience.